Guest Post and Giveaway with Lori Foster, author of Run the Risk

Hi, everyone!

I am pleased to participate in Lori Foster's Run the Risk Blog Tour hosted by BookTrib.

About Lori:

Since first publishing in January 1996, LORI FOSTER has become a Waldenbooks, Borders, USA Today, Publishers Weekly and New York Times bestselling author.

Lori believes it’s important to give back to the community as much as possible, so she routinely arranges events among authors and readers to gather donations for various organizations.

CONNECT WITH LORI ONLINE: 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Welcome to Darlene's Book Nook, Lori!

Lori has written a guest post, so I will now turn the floor over to her!

 

How do you see the romance community as a whole (your readers and fellow authors)? Where do you see it in 10 years? What’s the best part about it?

The romance community has the most wonderful women and men in the entire world! Unique, friendly, open and caring. We love talking books, of course. But it’s so much more than that. It’s a rapport, a connection to the storylines, how they relate and don’t relate to real life romances, situations and circumstances. Many times readers can find a small part of themselves in the stories. That often opens a dialogue about real-life issues, the trials we have, what we survive and what we celebrate. People are so diverse that every day I hear, see, learn something new from my readers.

The current “open to the public” networking can be worrisome. So many people put their hearts out there for all the world to see. Used to be we kept our lives private and only shared certain aspects of ourselves. Now we share everything and only choose certain aspects to keep private. That’s the only downside to an otherwise amazing connection. When people share too much, they leave themselves vulnerable in so many ways. Identity theft has become a #1 worry! But I believe societal trends are cyclical. Before my end of time, I’m sure we’ll find people pulling back and rebelling against the “tell all” mode of social networking. In the meantime, it’s just fabulous to have a forum for chatting with readers. I feel like I know so many of them, even though we’ll never meet in person.

Thanks so much for joining us today, Lori!

TITLE: Run the Risk 

SERIES: Love Undercover, Book #1
AUTHOR: Lori Foster 

PUBLISHER: HQN Books
PUBLICATION DATE: October 2012

FORMAT: Paperback, 384 pages
GENRE: Romantic Suspense

ISBN: 978-0-373-77695-5

A police detective goes undercover to investigate a murder, and his target is a mousy young lady he believes is the link he needs to solve the case. But little does he know that his plain-Jane suspect has her own secrets that will turn his case head over heels before it’s over. From award-winning author Lori Foster comes Run the Risk, the first book in her brand-new original series.

When handsome construction worker Logan Riske moves next door to the dowdy young Pepper Yates, she can’t believe her luck. Her new beau has everything she wants in a guy—looks, charm, style. He also has one thing she doesn’t even suspect—a badge.

Logan is really an undercover cop investigating the homicide of his best friend and he’s sure that the shy, introverted Pepper is concealing the whereabouts of her eyewitness brother, Rowdy. Logan needs Rowdy’s testimony to bring crime boss Morton Andrews to justice for the murder, and he’ll go to any lengths to obtain it—even seducing Rowdy’s wallflower sister.

The longer Logan’s seductive charade goes on, however, the more he starts to see through Pepper’s drab exterior to the true beauty beneath. Despite all his training, Logan can’t stop himself from falling for Pepper. But to warn her now will cost him any chance of trapping her brother and bringing his friend’s killer to justice. Like it or not, Logan’s going to see this masquerade through to the end, even if it costs him what he now values most—Pepper.

But Pepper Yates is no one’s fool. She and her brother have managed to survive on the run by trusting no one, especially a flirtatious neighbor with romantic intentions. Despite her undeniable attraction to Logan, Pepper isn’t about to risk her brother’s life by falling prey to her passions.

But no matter what she does, it may be too late. Rowdy is already caught in the killer’s crosshairs and Pepper knows it’s up to her to do whatever it takes to save him no matter who stands in her way…even Logan.

One lucky winner will win a paperback copy of Run the Risk by Lori Foster.

To enter the giveaway, please fill out the Rafflecopter entry form below. 

 
This giveaway is open to Canada/US addresses only until 
12:01 AM EST on October 26, 2012. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Harlequin Caption Contest: Win a Trip and Meet Lori Foster!

Harlequin is putting together a caption contest in celebration of the release of RUN THE RISK!

Start: Sept 17th-10AM EST

End: Oct 1st- 11:59PM EST

Prize: A Trip to West Chester, Ohio to Meet Lori Foster at her 2013 Annual Reader & Author Get Together

Details: To ENTER: Submit a creative caption for the cover art of Lori Foster’s RUN THE RISK.

You can vote once per day your favorite entries.

Just click on the image to be taken to the contest on Harlequin's Facebook page.

One Breath Away Blog Tour: Guest Post, Scavenger Hunt Book Excerpt, Book Review, and Giveaway

Hi, everyone!

I am pleased to participate in Heather Gudenkauf's One Breath Away Blog Tour hosted by Media Muscle.

About Heather:

Heather Gudenkauf is the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling novels The Weight of Silence and These Things Hidden.  She lives in Iowa with her family. 

CONNECT WITH HEATHER ONLINE: 

Website | Goodreads

Welcome to Darlene's Book Nook, Heather!

Heather has written a guest post, so I will now turn the floor over to her!
 

In all three of your books, you tell the story through the perspectives of several characters. Why do you choose to write this way?

In the last few years I’ve been a silent, seven-year-old girl lost in the woods, a protective older brother, a deputy sheriff, a middle-aged male college professor, an adoptive mother, a teenage felon, a grandfather, a thirteen year old girl, and a sixty-five-year old third grade teacher. How many people get to say that? While I’ve never been lost in the woods (but did get hopelessly lost driving through Chicago once), have never been an adoptive mother, never was a teenage felon (much to the relief of my parents), nor have I been in a hostage situation, I am somehow compelled to explore these personas and the families of these characters. In choosing to write in this way, I also have had the chance to meet some fascinating people. I’ve interviewed a retired Sheriff’s deputy and police chief who taught me about police procedure, a criminal defense lawyer who taught me the ins and outs of state law and the criminal justice system, and two cattle farmers who taught me about reverence and respect for the earth and its animals. These conversations have helped me delve more deeply into the characters I write about. I have always loved reading books written in multiple perspectives and knew when I began writing my first novel, The Weight of Silence it was the only way it could be written. I try to create characters that are very different from one another with unique voices, hopes and dreams. It's a lot of fun stepping into a different character's viewpoint each day, but at the end of the day, it’s a comfort knowing I can step right back into my blissfully, uneventful life!

Thanks so much for joining us today, Heather!

TITLE: One Breath Away 

AUTHOR: Heather Gudenkauf 

PUBLISHER: Mira Books
PUBLICATION DATE: June 26, 2012

FORMAT: Paperback, 400 pages
GENRE: Mystery, Suspense

ISBN: 9780778313656

In her most emotionally charged novel to date, "New York Times" bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf explores the unspoken events that shape a community, the ties between parents and their children and how the fragile normalcy of our everyday life is so easily shattered. In the midst of a sudden spring snowstorm, an unknown man armed with a gun walks into an elementary school classroom. Outside the school, the town of Broken Branch watches and waits.

Officer Meg Barrett holds the responsibility for the town's children in her hands. Will Thwaite, reluctantly entrusted with the care of his two grandchildren by the daughter who left home years earlier, stands by helplessly and wonders if he has failed his child again. Trapped in her classroom, Evelyn Oliver watches for an opportunity to rescue the children in her care. And thirteen-year-old Augie Baker, already struggling with the aftermath of a terrible accident that has has brought her to Broken Branch, will risk her own safety to protect her little brother.

As tension mounts with each passing minute, the hidden fears and grudges of the small town are revealed as the people of Broken Branch race to uncover the identity of the stranger who holds their children hostage.

SCAVENGER HUNT BOOK EXCERPT:

“Yesss!” the kids around me hiss. Great. I open my notebook to the next clean page and begin writing.

“During spring break we’re going to fly back to Arizona to see our mother.” 

 
MY REVIEW:

I received this book for review from the publicist as part of the book tour. I did not receive any compensation for my review, and the views expressed herein are my own.

One Breath Away is a highly-charged emotional read which I could not put down! It is about redemption, love, and forgiveness.

An armed man walks into a school in a small town and holds a classroom of Grade 3 students hostage, along with their teacher. The rest of the school is on lockdown, and the police are waiting the man out to determine his demands.

When I read the Press Release for this book and learned that it was told from five alternating viewpoints, I was a little hesitant. I love books told from two alternating points of view. When well done, I believe it greatly enhances the story. Unfortunately, I have read a couple of books where I found the storyline confusing because of the way it jumped back and forth between characters and timelines. This was not one of those cases! Gudenkauf masterfully handled the story not from two or three but FIVE points of view. Wow! She pulled it off! I was never confused about who was speaking. Each chapter was told from a different person's perspective and the person whose point of view was expressed was the name of the chapter. It took a bit for me to get into the heads of each of the characters, but I soon found my groove and I loved how the multiple points of view brought more dimension to each of the characters. Told in this manner, I really felt as though I knew the characters and had no trouble at all connecting with them.

The five points of view are told from:

• Meg Barrett: A police officer who is called to the scene.
• Mrs. Evelyn Oliver: The teacher in the Grade 3 classroom whose students are being held hostage by the madman.
• Holly Baker: The daughter of Will and Marlys Thwaite, she left the small town of Broken Branch at the age of 17 years and never looked back. A horrible accident leaves her hospitalized, and there is no one to care for her two children, Augie and P.J., except her parents.
• Augie Baker: The 13 year-old daughter of Holly Baker, whose brother is in Mrs. Oliver's third grade classroom.
• Will Thwaite: The father of Holly Baker, and the grandfather of Augie and P.J.

As the points of view changed from person to person, these characters became more and more complex. My heart broke for each of them, as the unresolved pain of past mistakes weighed on each of them. Gudenkauf tied all the storylines together into a satisfying conclusion.

Each character has a plausible explanation for who the gunman is. I did accurately predict the identity of the gunman, who wasn't revealed until nearly the end of the book.

My favourite quote:

"We're always one breath away from something, living or dying, sometimes it just can't be helped."

This is my first book by Gudenkauf, but it won't be my last! I am definitely looking into her backlist.  

MY RATING:

5 stars!! It was superb! I loved it, and I will likely re-read it again in the future! You should definitely read it! Thanks to Media Muscle for the review copy!

This book qualifies as: 

#53 for my 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 
#36 for my New Author Reading Challenge 2012 
#19 for my 2012 ARC Reading Challenge      

View all my reviews

One lucky winner will win a paperback copy of One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf.

To enter the giveaway, please fill out the Rafflecopter entry form below. 

 
This giveaway is open to Canada/US addresses only until 12:01 AM EST on July 26, 2012. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Love Is Murder Blog Tour: Book Excerpt and Review

Hi, everyone!

I am pleased to participate in Sandra Brown's Love is Murder Blog Tour hosted by Media Muscle.

SANDRA BROWN gathers 30 of the world’s best ROMANTIC SUSPENSE authors in one scorching book

 

LOVE IS MURDER

HEART-POUNDING STORIES OF ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

To properly highlight each author’s contribution, Media Muscle came up with a new twist on their typical blog tour: A different author will be featured each day on the tour. The author that will be featured at Darlene's Book Nook is Heather Graham!

About Heather:

Heather Graham is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over a hundred novels including suspense, paranormal, historical and mainstream Christmas fare. She lives in Miami, Florida, her home, and an easy shot down to the Keys where she can indulge in her passion for diving. Travel, research and ballroom dancing also help keep her sane; she is the mother of five, and also resides with two dogs, a cat and an albino skunk. She is CEO of Slush Pile Productions, a recording company and production house for various charity events. Look her up at www.theoriginalheathergraham.com, www.writersforneworleans.com or www.eheathergraham.com.

 

Welcome to Darlene's Book Nook, Heather!

Here is an excerpt from Heather's story, Grave Danger:

The shuffling sound of footsteps had brought her here.

A leg lay on the floor, burned and scorched, blood pooled and congealed along the severed flesh at the kneecap area. In the shadows, Ali MacGregor stepped carefully by it. She blinked and saw the enormous monster beyond the leg. Fanged teeth appeared to drip saliva; the eyes were red, as if within them, all the fires and brutal evil of hell could be found.

Ali stood still, her heart thundering. She heard the noise again, the shuffling sound that had brought her here. She moved as silently as she could. Another step brought her face-to-face with the decaying skeleton of a one-eyed zombie.

Thanks so much for joining us today, Heather!

TITLE: Love Is Murder 

SERIES: Thriller Anthology, Book #3

EDITOR: Sandra Brown 

PUBLISHER: Mira Books
PUBLICATION DATE: May 29, 2012

FORMAT: Hardcover, 608 pages
GENRE: Romantic Suspense

ISBN: 978-0-7783-1344-1

Prepare for heart-racing suspense in Love Is Murder, edited by New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown, this original collection features 30 of the hottest bestselling authors and new voices writing nerve-racking romantic suspense today.

Bodyguards, vigilantes, stalkers, serial killers, women (and men!) in jeopardy, cops, thieves, P.I.s, killers—these all-new stories will keep you thrilled and chilled late into the night.

Go on vacation with Allison Brennan’s Lucy Kincaid, where she saves a man from drowning, only to discover he is in far greater danger on land. Meet Roxanne St. Claire’s “bullet catcher”—bodyguard Donovan Rush—who may have met his match in the sexually charged “Diamond Drop.” Debut author William Simon shows us what happens when the granddaughter of the president of the United States is kidnapped. And Lee Child’s pitch-perfect “I Heard a Romantic Story” puts a whole new spin on Love Is Murder.

Love Is Murder is the third Thriller anthology written exclusively by members of International Thriller Writers, Inc. Barely seven years old, ITW has a roster that reads like a who’s who of thriller writing, with 1635 members representing 28 countries worldwide and over three billion books in print. Headed by current co-presidents Douglas Preston and Kathleen Antrim, its board of directors has included such notables as Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen, Steve Berry, James Rollins, M. J. Rose, Carla Neggers, Gayle Lynds, David Morrell and David Hewson. More information is available on the ITW website.

Love Is Murder is available wherever books are sold and at Harlequin.com.

MY REVIEW:

I received this book for review from the publicist as part of the book tour. I did not receive any compensation for my review, and the views expressed herein are my own.

I just love the Romantic Suspense genre, so I was thrilled to be asked to be a part of this blog tour.

Love Is Murder is a huge anthology of 29 stories by 30 different authors (one story is co-written). While the book is in excess of 600 pages, each story is between 20-30 pages which is the perfect length to enjoy at bedtime! While many of these authors (including: Lee Child, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Heather Graham, Allison Brennan, Roxanne St. Claire, and Beverly Barton) have been on my "to-read" list, each of them was new to me and provided me with a taste of their talent.

I really liked that some of the stories included paranormal elements. While I enjoyed some stories more than others, I felt that each author brought a different flavour to the anthology. Overall, I think that this book is something that most fans of Romantic Suspense will enjoy! This anthology has given me the opportunity to try a bunch of new authors, and I am interested in reading more from each of them!

MY RATING:

3 stars!! It was good, and I enjoyed it! Thanks to Media Muscle for the review copy!

This book qualifies as: 

#43 for my 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 
#2 for my 2012 Mammoth Book Challenge 
#2 for my 2012 Romantic Suspense Reading Challenge 
#17 for my 2012 ARC Reading Challenge    

View all my reviews

Author Interview with Nancy DiFabbio, author of Midnight Magic

Hi, everyone!

We will be joined today by Nancy DiFabbio, author of Midnight Magic.

About Nancy:

Connecticut equestrian Nancy DiFabbio dreamed of owning a horse as a child and now cares for a herd of five on her family’s property. Her favorite horse, a Morgan named Trinity, was the inspiration for MIDNIGHT MAGIC: Be Careful What You Wish For! Her next book, Saddle Up! And Live Your Dream will release in early 2012.

To learn more about Nancy and her books, please contact her at the links below:

Website
Facebook